Out of Reach
by cassgrl087
Summary: After an incident in the common room, Ron admits his feelings to Hermione. She turns him down without reason. Then, they unintentionally meet up in Diagon Alley. Afterward, she decides she's going to tell Ron the truth. Last Sappy chapter up! ~complete~
1. An Incident in the Common Room

Hermione was quietly sitting in the common room floor, books scattered around her in a semi circle, and one large book on her lap. Her brown eyes scanned each line and occasionally she'd pick up her quill and parchment and write a few sentences. It was pretty late, and thunder was booming outside. Most everyone was in bed and the fireplace flickered. The candle to Hermione's right went out long ago. The fire died down to hot coals and Hermione could feel her eyelids getting droopy. 'Just five minutes.' She told herself as she closed her eyes.  
  
Immediately Hermione's sleep was broken. She heard footsteps behind her. She stood, frightened, and began slowly backing away. Tripping over a book behind her, she fell backwards and was suddenly caught by strong arms. She felt herself being tickled in the sides and squealed when she realized it was only Ron.  
  
"Ron! You about scared me to death!" She exclaimed, relieved, but still short of breath. He laughed, setting her down gently.  
  
"I was just checking on you." It was their fifth year, and going towards an end. Only one to go and they would be on holiday. Ron plopped down beside Hermione on the couch.  
  
"What time is it?" Hermione inquired, turning back around to face Ron.  
  
"About one." He told her. The fire went out and now the common room was completely dark. They could only see each other through occasional flashes of lightening. They didn't dare move. Ron felt Hermione's warm breath on his face. He knew she was close to him. Ron always knew he fancied Hermione. She was brilliant, but he was just too thick to see it. It was about their second year, after Hermione was petrified, when he finally encountered the feelings he was trying to cover up. Since then, though, he never could tell her how he felt. He couldn't find the words. A loud crash of thunder interrupted his thoughts. He felt Hermione tense up and move closer to him. It was obvious that she was scared. Turning to face her, he could feel they were only centimeters apart. He made himself move his head closer and touched his lips to hers.  
  
Ron, having more experience then Hermione, deepened the kiss, and surprisingly, she didn't turn away. He put his arms around her and for a moment or two he was in heaven. Another crash of thunder sounded, and lightening followed. Jumping up, Hermione broke the kiss and found Ron's hand. Squeezing it, she quietly whispered Good night, and tiptoed back to the girls' dormitories.  
  
Sitting in her bed, Hermione wondered why she just did what she did. It was storming and she longed for Ron to be back by her side, but something just didn't feel right. And Hermione knew what it was.  
  
Ron still sat on the common room couch, and he felt an array of new feelings. He wasn't sure what to do now, and a thought struck him to got back to Hermione's dormitory and get her. He quickly brushed that idea aside and went back to bed.  
  
The next morning, when Hermione awoke and got dressed, she forgot everything that happened until she saw her books scattered on the floor in the common room and saw Ron grinning at her. Biting her lip, she picked up her books and struggled to look Ron in the eye. She couldn't and she didn't quite know why. She politely said good morning to him and Ron and hurried down the stairs.  
  
"What's wrong with Hermione?" Harry asked Ron, as they tried to catch up. Ron shrugged, and a look of hurt crossed his face. Keeping herself occupied in Ginny's conversation, Hermione avoided speaking to Ron or Harry during breakfast. They had final exams today, so they wouldn't have to talk during classes, either. Then they would all pack up and she only had the train trip to go.  
  
As they were leaving after breakfast, Ron tugged on Hermione's arm.  
  
"Hermione?" He asked. She could hear the hurt in his voice.  
  
"Yes?" She said, putting on a happy face and a pleasant voice.  
  
"You okay?" He looked at her with such care, like he really did want to know what was wrong. She smiled a real smile.  
  
"Just nervous about exams." She told him, which was partly true. She couldn't tell him what was really wrong because she actually didn't know either. He smiled at her, relieved, and they walked together to class. 


	2. Confessions

Just a few things before I start the story: 1. I'll make the correction that they were getting their exam results, not taking them. And 2. If you'd like, read my first HP story, The Act of Being Vulnerable. I'm proud of it. Haha. This one will be a bit shorter. Anyway, here goes nothing.  
  
It was after lunch and the boys & girls were separated into their dormitories, to finish, or in some cases, to start their packing. Hermione was sitting on her trunk, just outside the dorm. She must have looked sad because then Ginny smiled at her and asked,  
  
"You feeling alright, Hermione?" Hermione nodded, but not convincingly.  
  
"Didn't you do well on exams?" Ginny asked, sitting down next to her.  
  
"Oh no, I did fine. It's just that," Hermione sighed. "Oh, it's nothing." She said, thinking that Ginny would dismiss her worries as pointless or silly. Ginny shrugged and packed the rest of her robes in her trunk. Just then, professor McGonogal entered the dorm.  
  
"Ladies. Ladies!" She said, and once and waited until everyone was quiet. She continued, "You will have to go downstairs now. The train is leaving in fifteen minutes." The room erupted in excited laughter. Even professor McGonogal looked happy. Hermione wondered why she couldn't feel happy today. Her exam scores were great and she was going home - but a feeling inside her kept warning her of something that she couldn't quite ignore. IT was a deep, unnerving feeling, Hermione felt sick to her stomach and without saying a word; she exited the room and took her trunk down the stairs. She was carrying her trunk down when Draco approached her from behind.  
  
"Hey, mudblood." He said, smirking.  
  
"I'm not in the mood." She warned, shooting him a look.  
  
"Weasley break up with you?" He said, knowing perfectly well that they weren't dating.  
  
"Shove it, Malfoy." Hermione said as she scooted her trunk down three more stairs. Draco jumped in front of her.  
  
"You should really start associating with your own kind." He stared her down, and she responded by roughly pushing him out of the way.  
  
"You should really start attempting to be nice." She said, walking past him and 'accidentally' running over his foot with her trunk. He yelped in pain and swore under his breath. Hermione was at the end of the staircase and began looking for Ron and Harry. She wanted to quickly avoid them and maybe sit in the booth with Ginny and her friends. Things between her and Ron should cool down by next summer. But no, she heard her name being called.  
  
"Hermione! Over here!" Hermione couldn't pretend not to see her friends, so she headed over. Ron smiled at her.  
  
"Let's go get a seat." Harry said and they headed outside and into the train. They easily found an open compartment and piled themselves into it. Ginny quickly followed. Trying to escape the situation, Hermione said,  
  
"Wow. It's crowded in here. I think I'll go find the lady with the cart." She tried to make a quick exit, but Ron leaped up.  
  
"Don't worry yourself, Mion. I'll get you one." She smiled a little, trying not to look into his deep blue eyes. She knew she'd get lost. Why was she trying so hard to avoid him? She felt a pang of guilt, but remembered what she was thinking about last night . . .  
  
When Ron returned, he had brought Hermione a class of ice-cold fresh water. She smiled gratefully.  
  
"Thank you." She said quietly. The train began to move and Harry began a conversation.  
  
"So, Hermione, you're staying with your parents most of the summer. In the muggle town?" Hermione was sitting next to Ginny, and across from Harry, so she propped her feet up on the seat. He wouldn't mind.  
  
"Yeah. They'll be gone a lot but they're still really interested in seeing the wizarding world again. They wanna go back to Diagon Alley early this year and get a room."  
  
"Maybe I'll meet you there." Harry told her, to which, Ginny and Ron spoke up.  
  
"Us too!" They said in unison. Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes and laugh. She found a book in her trunk that she only read three times, so she opened it and began reading. After about an hour or two, Ginny was asleep, leaning against the door, as was Ron and Harry. Hermione finally gave in to temptation and leaned back, gaining the hours of sleep she'd lost for exams.  
  
She awoke when the train went over a bump and saw that Ron was up, staring at her. She met his eyes and forced a smile. He smiled back. They small talked a little until there was only about fifteen minutes left. Gently, Hermione awoke Harry and Ron nudged Ginny. They stirred and then Ron spoke.  
  
"Mion, can I talk to you . . .in private?" Hermione was surprised at the idea, but nodded.  
  
"Okay," they headed to an empty seat and shut the door. "What did you want to talk about?" Hermione sat herself down nervously across from Ron. She had a feeling that this 'talk' was going to be about feelings. Ron sat; his knees touching hers.  
  
"I need to know something." He began.  
  
"What?" She asked.  
  
"I need to know," He paused. "I need to know if you love me."  
  
"Ron . . ."  
  
He grabbed her hands. "Hermione. Please. I need to know if what happened in the common room last night was real."  
  
With much hesitation, she began, "Ron, I. . .I love you. I love you, but I'm not in love with you. Not that way." She kissed his cheek and moved out of the car, tears filling her eyes. She entered the car with Harry and Ginny in it.  
  
"What's wrong, Mione?" Harry asked, standing up. She hugged him quickly as the train stopped and blew its whistle.  
  
"Goodbye." She said softly to him.  
  
"What's wrong?" He repeated. She kissed him on the cheek and turned around. With tears in her eyes she winked at Ginny and smiled with a shaky mouth.  
  
"I'll write you." She mouthed to her and grabbed her trunk and left. She walked past Draco, who opened his mouth, but Hermione walked right past him. She sniffed and struggled to keep the tears in her eyes. She walked quickly to her parents and set down the trunk at her father's feet. She bit her lip and, walking to the car, wiped tears from her eyes. 


	3. Letters

Ron watched as Hermione exited the train, and he saw the tears stream down her face. Confused and heartbroken, he went back to the car with Harry and Ginny still sitting in it. He touched his cheek where Hermione's lips had just been. Looking down, he attempted to quickly grab his trunk.  
  
"What was wrong with Hermione?" Harry inquired first. After Ron stood, he breathed in a deep sigh.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it." He said quietly. Ginny raised an eyebrow at Harry and he just shrugged. They all walked off the bus too see Mrs. Weasley waiting.  
  
"Took you long en-" Fred began, but stopped, shooting a quizzical look towards Ron. Ron's face was now redder then ever. He didn't even look at his parents.  
  
"Bye Harry." He said glumly.  
  
"See you." Harry replied. "Don't forget - we'll all be at Diagon Alley the last week of July." Ron nodded. By now Ron's mother, sister, and brothers were staring at him.  
  
"Bye Ginny." Harry smiled at her and she grinned back. She blushed a little. They hugged briefly and Harry left. Ron continued walking through the entry way and into the car. He could hear his family whispering behind him.  
  
"Ron? You okay?" Ginny ran up beside him. Over the years they had become pretty close. She brushed a strand of red hair from her eyes and tried to keep up with his stride.  
  
"No." He answered, covering the tears in his eyes. He slowed down and stared at his sister. "I just want to know how my life can go from heaven to hell in one day."  
  
Back in Hermione's parent's car, she was sitting in the back, her mother eying her from the passenger's seat.  
  
"Something wrong, Hermione?"  
  
"No, mum." She lied. Hermione slouched and looked out the window. Tears slowly fell down her face as she tried to remember why she did what she did. After a moment, her mother spoke.  
  
"So, Hermione, while you were gone, we visited Diagon Alley again. I signed up for a new organization called ETMB, Equal Treatment of Muggle Borns. Isn't that creative?" Her mother's nervous chatter filled the car. "I didn't really find it necessary, you know,"  
  
"Oh, but it is." Hermione said quietly. "You have no idea." Her mother's attempt at small talk had backfired. The ride home was quiet the rest of the way.  
  
"It has something to do with Hermione, doesn't it?" Was Ginny's inquiry once the Weasly family had arrived home. Ron had made it through everyone's questions by saying either "yes, no, or fine." Now Ginny was on his back again.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it." Ron was now traveling the stairs to his room, not stopping to try one of his mother's new pastries.  
  
"Why not?" She followed quickly behind him. Ron ignored her and entered his room, shutting the door in her face. Immediately he felt a pang of regret. He turned around to open the door but Ginny wasn't there. Nothing else to do, he picked up a quill and parchment. After writing the name Hermione, he realized he didn't know what to say to her. So he scratched that out and wrote Dear Harry, on it instead.  
  
Today I was talking to Hermione on the train,  
  
He continued,  
  
And she  
  
Searching for the right word that wouldn't expose his feelings, he wrote:  
  
Turned me down. Terribly. I was mean to Ginny, too. I don't know what to do. Hermione's made me angry before but now its just unbearable. Don't tell her I told you any of this.  
  
Immediately he signed his name and sent it out on his new owl that he bought last year. He knew the letter was short and sort of dumb, but he felt as if Harry should know. Once he sent it, he realized that Hermione would probably tell Harry all about it anyway. He sighed.  
  
Hermione buried herself in her comforter when she arrived home, even though it was close to eighty degrees. Crying, she got out her quill and wrote to Ginny.  
  
Today Ron told me he loved me. I told him I loved him too, but that I wasn't in love with him. I think I do have feelings for him . . .  
  
Realizing that this letter could easily get into the wrong hands, she crossed out Ginny's name and wrote Harry's. Then she continued.  
  
I don't know what I did was right. Just don't tell Ron. He'll probably never speak to me again. You wanted to know what's wrong so that's it. If I was right then why do I feel so awful?  
  
Not knowing anything else to do, she curled back into her bed and vowed never to leave her room again all summer. Maybe never. 


	4. Trying to Forget

When Harry received Hermione and Ron's letters he wasn't shocked. He knew it was going to happen someday. But he was a little surprised about Hermione turning him down. Harry was almost positive that Hermione liked Ron as much as Ron liked her and that they just didn't want to let on. But then again, Hermione never actually told Harry that she liked Ron. And she was still confused about if she did the right thing. All of this was making his brain hurt.  
  
At around six o'clock, one of Hermione's muggle friends phoned. Hermione tried to ignore the phone and covered her head with a pillow. About five minutes later her mother knocked.  
  
"Go away!" Hermione said; her voice muffled. Her mom entered anyway.  
  
"Honey, Nadine called."  
  
"So?" Hermione replied. Her mother quietly exited the room. Hermione could almost sense her mother shaking her head. Sighing, Hermione pulled out a book from her trunk and started to read.  
  
It was dinnertime at the Weasly's. Ron had been sitting in his room for almost five hours straight. Percy entered once, not attempting to get Ron to talk about his problem, but rather to ask him about how he did on exams. Fred tried to cheer Ron up by giving George a cherry head lollipop. The result was rather hilarious; George's face turned the color of a cherry and a stem grew from his hair. Ron didn't find it at all amusing. Even Ron's mother and father came in once or twice, his mother to offer goodies from the kitchen and his father to tell him some ministry news. Ron always blankly responded with a nod or sigh.  
  
Ginny not visiting him was bittersweet. He was partly glad because she didn't tell anyone else in the family about him and Hermione, but angry because she didn't bother to join him in his sorrow. He did slam the door in her face, though. A knock on the door woke Ron from his thoughts.  
  
"Come in," he said in monotone. Ginny's small figure emerged from the doorway. She must have forgiven him because she sat down on the edge of his bed.  
  
"Mum told me to tell you dinner is ready." Ron's blue eyes met hers. She sighed.  
  
"Just because Hermione turned you down doesn't mean you have to wallow in self pity for six hours straight!"  
  
"Yes it does." He didn't realize how childish he sounded.  
  
"She just wanted to save your friendship." Ginny mentioned, on her way out.  
  
"What friendship?" He growled and turned over in his bed.  
  
Hermione had just finished her book and it was around midnight. The phone kept ringing and once or twice Hermione hoped it was Harry. But then she realized that he was living in a non-magic household this summer. She hoped he would write a response to her letter soon. She curled up in her bed and thought about the kiss that she and Ron shared. Was it only last night? Her head began to spin and she promptly fell asleep.  
  
However, around three in the morning there was a tapping on the window. She saw the image of an owl in her window. Jumping up, she grabbed the letter out of its beak and let it inside. The letter read,  
  
Dear Hermione,  
  
I feel awful about the thing you and Ron are going through. There isn't much I can do about it, though. Maybe over the summer things will cool off between you both and everything will be back to normal. Remember, it's a month and a half from now before you and Ron and I see each other again. You guys will be fine by then. Hope you're feeling better and I can't wait until we all meet up in Diagon Alley!  
  
--Harry  
  
Ironically enough, the letter that was supposed to make Hermione feel better made her feel worse. Almost two months until she saw Ron again. She couldn't decipher weather the feeling she felt was dread or anxiousness. Either way, she felt heartsick.  
  
Ron awoke around five and couldn't sleep. He'd been sleeping all day and now he felt wide-awake. The sun didn't even rise yet and he hopped out of bed and walked downstairs. Finally hungry, but still depressed, he grabbed a Danish from the counter and wandered outside. He wasn't sure where he was going or what he was even doing, but to him it didn't matter. His heart had been broken and now nothing mattered. Except Hermione. 'Damn' He thought. 'I have to get over her.' He tried to shrug the feeling off. Sure, I used to like Hermione. But then I realized what a jerk she is. Stuck up little jerk. That's it. Maybe Ron could fool other people. But he surely wasn't fooling himself. 


	5. Diagon Alley?

Hermione was only asleep for a few hours when her mother came prancing into her room. Wincing, Hermione sat up and grumpily stated the obvious.  
  
"Mom! It's not even light out yet!" She pulled the covers back over her head.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Her mother said happily and pulled Hermione's comforter off of her and to the foot of her bed. "We're going down to Diagon Alley today!" She said in the same too-happy tone.  
  
"Why?" Hermione whined. Her mother plopped down onto the bed.  
  
"ETMB called yesterday. It's a meeting for 'muggles'," She said with a special emphasis, like it was an award for being called a muggle. "To get more acquainted with the wizarding world." Her mother finished as she jumped off Hermione's bed. "And besides, the bookstore is having a sale." Hermione rolled her eyes and covered her head in her pillow.  
  
"I'm not going." She said, but sounded more like "mmnrrfgongg"  
  
"What's that dear?" Hermione took her pillow off of her face and glared at her mother. Just then, her dad walked in.  
  
"Okay, we're leaving in a half hour!" He too looked way too chipper for it only being six in the morning. Her mother bounded out of the room and Hermione slouched back into bed. She covered herself back up and wished her parents would disappear.  
  
"Hey Ron!" Mr. Weasly appeared in the doorway of his room. "Today I have a special thing to do and I'm taking you with me. You've been stuck in here for too long." His father looked around the room in repulse. "Besides, it smells horrid in here." When Ron didn't move, his father pulled at his arm. "Well c'mon then. Get in your robes. We're going to Diagon Alley!"  
  
After an awful drive to the city, Hermione and her parents finally arrived. Feeling quite at home, but still angry, she told her parents she'd meet them for tea when their meeting was over. Before they could protest, she left. Traveling down the sea of wizards, she breathed in the fresh air and felt that maybe, just maybe, things would start to look up. That was until she heard an all too familiar voice coming her way.  
  
"C'mon, then, Ron. No need to slow us down. The muggles are having a meeting down here. Isn't that great? We can ask everything I need to know!" His father didn't even stop to listen to Ron's grumbling. It was probably better that he didn't.  
  
"I hope I don't see anyone I know." He was saying, "a mad muggle crazed father on search for-" He suddenly stopped when he heard his father say something about Mr. & Mrs. Granger.  
  
"What's that?" Ron asked, as they stalled for a minute while his father looked in a window. Hermione was hiding behind a rack of cloaks just to Ron's left.  
  
"I said I was hoping to see Mr. & Mrs. Granger here. They told me earlier this year that the missus was expecting to join ETMB." That statement, along with the realization that Hermione could be here, put Ron in another grumbling fit. Hermione didn't mean to hear what she heard, but she did, being only a foot or so away from him.  
  
"Bloody Hell, I hope Hermione isn't here. Stuck up little brat she is, will go along ruining the rest of my holiday."  
  
Gasping, Hermione stood, not caring if Ron saw her. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on the way you looked at it, he did. His eyes were wide in a shock for a moment, but then his face was covered in a "Why- should-I-care" look that made Hermione feel awful. Eyes brimming with tears, she stared Ron in the face before they began to fall. Mr. Weasley opened his mouth, but Hermione turned and ran in the other direction before he could say anything. Ron was extremely anger and began swearing under his breath.  
  
"Did I miss something?" Came Mr. Weasly's confused voice.  
  
Hermione was running through all crowds of wizards, occasionally causing a disgruntled witch or warlock to shoot her a dirty look, where she would quickly utter an apology. Tears were falling down her face and she ran up to the Inn where her parents rented two rooms; one for her, and one for them. She checked the key she carried in her pocket and quickly ran to the door and opened it. She flew onto the bed and lay on her stomach, crying into the pillow.  
  
"What's the matter dear?" A sweet voice startled Hermione and she looked up.  
  
"Don't be so shocked." A deep bass voice said calmingly. Hermione then realized that the mirror and the vanity were speaking to her. Otherwise she would be quite shocked, but she was in Diagon Alley.  
  
"Nothing." She said, muffled into her pillow.  
  
"I don't believe that for one minute, do you?" Said the high, sweet voice. The deep bass voice from the vanity chuckled. Hermione had a pounding headache.  
  
"You're concern is nice and all but really, I want some quiet." She snapped, and the vanity's laughter stopped.  
  
"Look, Ron! Look! Those mini earmuffs are speaking to that man!" Mr. Weasly said excitedly. Ron rolled his eyes. "And wow, look over here. That woman is talking into a little metal device. I've got to get the scoop on that." Without waiting for Ron, he ran into the crowd. Ron was extremely disgruntled now and decided to go the room he and his father were sharing.  
  
Hermione looked into the mirror on the wall. Her eyes were pink and puffy, her hair was bushy, and she felt miserable.  
  
"C'mon, dear, don't feel so bad. Just go get cleaned up and you'll feel so much better."  
  
"I'll let you in on a little secret." The vanity said in its deep voice. "There's a good bathroom with a huge tub down the hall, to the right. All you need to do is,"  
  
"Hey, are you sure you should tell the girl this?" The nightstand spoke in an annoying gossipy tone.  
  
"Look at her, she's heartbroken." Replied the mirror.  
  
"All you need to do is," continued the vanity, "scratch the doorknob on its right, knock twice and say, "Coming in from room 5." And knock once more."  
  
"But we're in room seven!" Hermione exclaimed. One of the knobs of the vanity appeared to wink.  
  
"Timeless secret." It told her. Hermione smiled faintly and turned the knob to leave. Looking at the floor, she walked only a few steps and ran right into who else than:  
  
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, falling to the ground. 


	6. Confusion

Shocked, Hermione and Ron both stared at each other for a minute. Sighing, Ron offered her a hand to get up. Remembering what he had said earlier, she glared at him.  
  
"I don't want to go off and ruin your holiday now." She told him, helping herself off the ground.  
  
"Look, Hermione, if your going to be this way," He said, grabbing her brush and putting it in her bag.  
  
"I can do it myself." She said coldly.  
  
"Fine." He replied, shoving her bag in her hand. "All I wanted to do is help."  
  
"Help?" She said, her voice half sarcastic and half hurt, "By calling me a stuck up little brat?" She picked up her bathrobe and brushed it off.  
  
"I didn't think you were listening-"  
  
"Oh, just go and talk about me when I'm not listening. That's the point now isn't it?" She said, her voice rising.  
  
"Yeah, well maybe there ARE some things you need to hear."  
  
"Like what?" She glared at him.  
  
"Like how could ANYONE fancy a hag like yourself?" He yelled to her.  
  
"Oh really?" She said, picking up one of her many heavy books, pretending not to care. "Cause just a week ago it seemed that you did fancy me." She said, cocking an eyebrow. His ears turned red.  
  
"Yeah," he countered slowly and bitterly, "But I guess I was wrong. You know what, Hermione? I guess you were just leading me on. Is that the type of dirty work you do know?" Hermione was shocked. Appalled, she threw her book at him. It hit him square in the shoulder. Wincing, he stepped back.  
  
"I wasn't leading you on." She said quietly.  
  
"Yeah? Well - If you did really care . . ." He was rubbing his shoulder but stopped when she uttered something.  
  
"What?" He couldn't have heard what he thought he just did.  
  
Trying to cover up tears, Hermione proceeded to the end of the hall, followed the vanity's directions and entered the bathroom. Softening a little, Ron was following quickly. Once inside, she gave Ron one more look, her brown eyes meeting his deep blue ones. When she slammed the door, it began to vanish right before his eyes.  
  
Angry, Ron kicked the book Hermione that hit him earlier on the shoulder. He was so frustrated. And he had to find out if what she had said was true. Going back to his room, he fell onto the bed and when the mirror began to speak, he threw a pillow at it. In his mind he replayed the scene that had just happened.  
  
Hermione had turned away and muttered something. Unless his ears were tricking him, it sounded like "I do." She does? He questioned himself. She does care? Or she does still fancy me? Or she cares only cause she's my friend . . .? So maybe possibilities in those two words. Maybe he could talk to her. It was still early. He walked to the door but it was opened before him.  
  
"Dad?" He asked.  
  
"Well look at you, eager beaver." He said happily. "C'mon, you've missed out on enough. We're going down so I can introduce you to the muggles!" Joyously, he grabbed Ron's arm and in reply Ron groaned miserably. This was going to be a long day.  
  
When it finally did end, his father, still commenting on all the muggle devices and works, hustled Ron back to the room. He wanted to visit Hermione, but couldn't. What if her parents were there and she wasn't? What would he say? Finally, Ron got into bed and fell into a fitful sleep.  
  
Hermione buried herself in books and kept the conversations with the furniture to a minimum. She met up with her parents for tea, but felt sick and returned to bed soon after. The next morning, Hermione and her parents left early, and luckily, she didn't have to talk much because they were still enthused with the workings of the wizarding government. However, this gave Hermione a lot of thinking time. And within those few hours she decided what she had to do. She had to visit Ron in the Burrow and tell him the truth. 


	7. There is nothing better then you

When Hermione got home, she paced around her bedroom. There was no lying that she felt anxious. Since she'd seen Ron she realized what she had to do. She remembered him kissing her in the Common Room, she remembered the look in his eyes on the train, and she remembered his angry stare softening when she uttered the words under her breath. He did love her. Why did she turn away? Her conscience was killing her.  
  
She lied. She lied to Ron about loving him.  
  
Of course she loved him!  
  
She loved everything about Ron.  
  
She loved that he'd stick up for her, she loved that he'd argue with her, she loved him that night that they kissed and she loved him even more on the train when he told her he loved her, too.  
  
But she lied. Hermione had to fight to remember why she lied. She really had to think. But then, she remembered. It felt like a rock sunk to the bottom of her stomach when she remembered. Hermione fell back onto her bed and Harry's letter drifted onto the ground.  
  
All those times that Malfoy had made fun of her and she pretended she didn't care, she did. And it got to her.  
  
'Ron is a pureblood.' She was telling herself. 'And who am I? A mudblood! He deserves so much better then me. Malfoy was right.'  
  
Tears flooded Hermione's face.  
  
She didn't deserve Ron. But he didn't deserve to be let down like that.  
  
She had to do something. She couldn't wait until the end of July in Diagon Alley again. She'd be sick with guilt if she had to wait that long. She had to see Ron and tell him the truth. He lived two hours away. Hermione wasn't sure how she could get to him. Then it dawned on her. She dug through her drawers for a letter Ginny wrote to her a few days ago. She found it quickly. Brushing away a stray hair from her face she found the part she was looking for.  
  
"Ron stays in bed all day and only gets up at night to scavenge the kitchen. He's a pig I tell you. . ."  
  
Ron stays up all night. She could travel by Floo, which was just installed in her house, and tell him. She had to. Her heart lifting, all she had to do was wait.  
  
Finally, Hermione awoke to her alarm clock at two in the morning. She wasn't too happy about her appearance - her hair was still curly - she had wanted to straighten it - and she was wearing a sweatshirt and old jeans. But, hopefully, it wouldn't matter what she looked like.  
  
Creeping down stairs, she started a fire quickly and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder. Clearly, she yelled "The Burrow" And prayed that only Ron would be awake.  
  
Opening her eyes, she looked around the Weasly kitchen. It seemed to be deserted. She stepped out of the fireplace. Her thoughts finally sinking in, she realized how stupid she was being. She was walking back towards it when a quiet voice said,  
  
"Hermione?" It was Ron's voice. Turning slowly, she met him face to face. His hair was ruffled and he was in flannel pajamas. "What are you doing here?" His voice wasn't accusing, just questioning.  
  
"Well, Ron, I"  
  
"How'd you get here?" He asked, moving closer.  
  
"Floo Powder." Not knowing how to explain it, she said, "Ron, I lied."  
  
"You didn't travel by Floo Powder?"  
  
"No. I lied. Remember when you asked me if I loved you?" After a pause, she continued. "It's too late, isn't it?"  
  
"Too late for what?"  
  
"To tell you the truth."  
  
"Why'd you lie?" He said, the words now sinking in.  
  
"I thought you deserved something better." She said quietly. Eyes widening, he touched her chin and pulled her to look at him. Her brown eyes were full of tears and her lips were quivering. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"Something better then you? Hermione, there is nothing better then you." She began to smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned closer and brushed his lips against hers. He put his arms around her waist. Standing on her tiptoes to reach his ear, she said in a whisper,  
  
"I do love you, Ron. And I do care."  
  
Sappy? Yes. Fluffy? Of course. A good story? Well, that's up to you. Please review!!  
  
Thank you to the movie "Where the heart is" For the last few lines, and thank you to all the great reviewers, which include:  
  
Aramin, Weaslyaholic, CurlsofGold, Goo, Angel of Fire, Vicki, Annapoo, Golden-is-back, and Marie. You guys are the best. 


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